title: Mid-infrared gas filled photonic crystal fiber laser based on population inversion.
abstract: We demonstrate for the first time an optically pumped gas laser based on population inversion using a hollow core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF). The HC-PCF filled with 12C2H2 gas is pumped with ~5 ns pulses at 1.52 μm and lases at 3.12 μm and 3.16 μm in the mid-infrared spectral region. The maximum measured laser pulse energy of ~6 nJ was obtained at a gas pressure of 7 torr with a fiber with 20 dB/m loss near the lasing wavelengths. While the measured slope efficiencies of this prototype did not exceed a few percent due mainly to linear losses of the fiber at the laser wavelengths, 25% slope efficiency and pulse energies of a few mJ are the predicted limits of this laser. Simulations of the laser's behavior agree qualitatively with experimental observations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: A V Vasudevan
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Nampoothiri
authors.forename: Amarin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ratanavis
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fiedler
authors.forename: Natalie V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Couny
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kadel
authors.forename: Fetah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benabid
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Washburn
authors.forename: Kristan L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Corwin
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rudolph
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry; D007259:Infrared Rays; D007834:Lasers; D017785:Photons
chemical_list: D005740:Gases